In 1955,  one third of North America’s GDP was controlled by Fortune 500 companies.   By 2005 their portion grew to more than half.    Millions of family farms, Mom & Pop stores and other small businesses were therefore replaced by large corporations such as Wall Mart and other giant enterprises, leading to polarization of wealth and marginalization of creativity among most of us.  This is NOT good!

Cyrka was born to bring the ‘local’ and the ‘small’  back into focus.  It was born out of the desire to develop an ecosystem that enables ‘local conversations’ and ‘social commerce’ both at the same time.   It was built based on the fundamental beliefs that ‘real communities develop from within and that magic happens when we connect’.   It was born to connect.

At inception, Cyrka introduces a local directory of  businesses, free-lancers, artists and home offices offering visibility to all.   It also offers an inclusive business club that connects local entrepreneurs for new business relationships.   New features and tools are in the works as we speak, to establish a new “Local Ecosystem Model” unlike what we have seen so far.

So, please feel free to browse around and become a part of this new initiative.   This journey has just begun and we’d love to have you with us.

Questions?  Comments?  Please let me know.

Then one day; a cloudy day in September of 2001, the music stopped all together.  I lost it all in despair.

Most of us do not believe that this is a common story.   This would have been just a distant tale to me too if I weren’t playing the lead role here.  One more number in the jungle of statistics!  It’s different when it happens to you though.  You could become very confused, especially if you had never failed before.   You could also refuse to call it a failure.   You ask yourself over and over;  “was it all my fault and my own shortcomings, or is there more to this story”?

Well, here is some background information.  Six million small businesses start operation in North America each year.  5.6 million others shut down each year too.  More than 80% vanish within the first five years.  The average life span of a small business is 3 years!  In a state of shock, you may begin searching for answers…

What if we had access to adequate tools and resources that encouraged and cradled “the act of creation” at every stage of entrepreneurship for all of us?   What if we turned on the ‘two way conversation’ instead of perpetuating the old and tired model of marketing and advertising?  What if we could connect to our peers more easily and effortlessly?  What is it that we could not achieve once we connect and collaborate?  What if…?

Cyrka was born after many years of watching, researching  and working thereafter.

I founded Cyrka to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and to create a platform for sharing, co-operation and co-creation.  I designed it in the hope that entrepreneurialism would be a little bit less of a struggle, seeing as though 50% of our GDP is supported by us, small and micro businesses.

I started Cyrka because I knew that the reason for most of us failing is not because we are stupid and slow, but because there is barely an adequate infrastructure out there that can support our fragmented segment.   And of course I started Cyrka, because I adore those who share a piece of themselves in their “act of creation” and entrepreneurship;  from the Artist to the Accountant, from the Digital Designer to the Dance Teacher and the new emerging young entrepreneurs too.

I started Cyrka because I simply had to reach YOU.

So, stay with me and the rest of our community if you believe in the power of us.   Let us harness the power of the collective, because there is nothing like it and because we can surely get there if we go together.

My name is Vida by the way, (Vida Mas) and now, enough about me.   Let us talk about YOU.